British Government

The British Government is the government of the United Kingdom.[1][2] Its official name is Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who chooses the other Ministers. The Prime Minister and the other most powerful Ministers belong to a group known as the Cabinet, who are the most important decision makers in the Government.[2] These ministers are all members of Parliament. Laws are made by MPs voting in Parliament, which is called 'legislative authority'. These laws make what is called primary legislation. The government is chosen by the people of the United Kingdom voting in an election and, at least every five years, the people can vote again.[3] The monarch selects the Prime Minister as the leader of the party who is likely to get the most votes in Parliament.[4]

Under the British constitution, making laws is done by Parliament, the power to "give assent" to the laws belongs to the monarch. The policy and administration of the laws is done by the direction of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. This is called executive authority.[5] The monarch generally always does things suggested by the elected government. The Cabinet members advise the monarch as part of a group called Privy Council. They also use their power directly as leaders of the Government departments.

There are separate governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, each responsible to their own local parliament. These parliaments have certain limits decided by the main parliament in Westminster. There is no separate English Parliament.